The University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Nagasaki University in Japan plan to cooperate more closely in the future. At the focus of the partnership funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will be the joint development of a program of research into radiation epidemiology and radiation biology, the establishment of an exchange program for scientists and academics at the two universities, and, over the long term, the creation of a joint multicenter research project. There is one other similar project currently being promoted in Mainz; at present, there are only five such projects being implemented in Germany as a whole. It was with this in view that a Japanese delegation recently visited the University Medical Center in Mainz in order to discuss the future development of the joint scientific venture. During the visit, a cooperation agreement was drawn up that specifies the details of the collaboration between the two institutions.
According to the President of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Professor Georg Krausch, this represents the first time that a formal accord has been made between the University Medical Center and a Japanese university. "Even within the academic arena, enhanced globalization and networking are becoming fundamental prerequisites for international research ventures. This agreement between Mainz and Nagasaki on a project that is additionally being sponsored by the BMBF represents major progress towards helping us better understand the health risks associated with exposure to radiation," explains Professor Reinhard Urban, Scientific Director of the Mainz University Medical Center.